For autistic adults, a long waiting list for state help

Ann Marie Somma

Updated 5:44 pm, Friday, August 8, 2014

Gallery

Arlene Litt, right, poses with her children Jacob, 18, and Rachel, 16, outside their home in Ridgefield. Rachel is autistic and the family is one of more than 300 in Connecticut who face a lengthy waiting period to get services from the state Department of Developmental Services.Photo: Tyler Sizemore

RIDGEFIELD -- Rachel Litt is like most active 15 year olds. She likes to dance and listen to music and loves amusement park rides. She also helps her mother in the kitchen, measuring and mixing baking ingredients.

But Rachel can't safely use an oven or ride a Ferris wheel by herself. That's because she suffers from autism spectrum disorder, which impairs her cognitive and social abilities.

Rachel's mother, Arlene, said her daughter has made progress since being diagnosed with autism at age three. But without supervised support services after Rachel graduates from high school, Arlene worries, her daughter will spend her days on the sofa.